Particles TIPS & TRICKS > Free Particles!..

[jackpfeiffer]

Here is a really nice TIP / TRICK for your Particle use.

This is in my book, but I will share it with you all here:

If you need to BROWSE and SEE your particles (perhaps you are trying to find a particle that you are considering using for a project or effect,) THEN you should be sure to DOWNLOAD and INSTALL the "ShowIEL" program.

"ShowIEL" (available for FREE at the Wondertouch website) is the free particleIllusion "Emitter Viewer" for the library and can be used OUTSIDE OF COMBUSTION to preview/play out the emitters from any Particle Illusion Emitter Library in an interactive OpenGL window on your desktop. This is all done outside of the Combustion software, so it can be very handy.

It requires you to have at least one IEL library on your system to playout. It is available for either MAC or PC. For Windows: ShowIEL v1.1.0 for Windows (includes a sampler library) (575 KB Zip) Instructions: Just unzip the program (and IELs if you downloaded them) into a folder and run ShowIEL.exe. Press F1 or H for a list of the other keys and functions.

For MAC: ShowIEL v1.0.2 for Mac OS 8/9 and OS X (includes an updated sampler library) (845 KB Sit) Instructions: Just un-Stuff the program, run ShowIEL, and load the "mac_sampler.iel" file.

Now, about those Particles..........

go to the SOURCE...

>>>> http://www.wondertouch.com

You can DOWNLOAD MORE FREE Particle Effects !!!!!!!!!
It is the Particle Illusion software that is integrated with Discreet Combustion Version 2.0 (both Mac and PC.) Combustion v2 User can download additional FREE Particle Libraries for use in their systems from the Wondertouch Particle Library collections.

Note that the relevant Particle Libraries should be dated AFTER January 2002, since most of the libraries BEFORE that date are already included with the release of Combustion v2. This includes effects such as Abstract, Explosions, Natural, etc. The Libraries are all free and User Submitted. They, collectively, are generally very nice, but, unfortunately, they are totally un-organized. However, if you search, you can find some cool new pre-created unique effects since Combustion V2's release.

To install new particle libraries: first download he library and save to a local drive.

Next, open Combustion, open particles, and simply use the "Load Library" button.

Or, you can drop the Illusion library file into the "Particle Libraries" folder in combustion's program folder and then restart combustion. The new library will be converted and it'll become another entry in the Library popup list.

Particle Illusion uses OpenGL, so you'll time most of your renders in frames per second instead of seconds (or minutes) per frame. Of course the number of effects that you use, and the parameters of those effects have an impact on performance.

That's your tip of the day...

Regards,

JACK

[evil_art]

Am I the only one getting tired of Jack pimping his book in EVERY SINGLE damn post he makes? A book that for 40 euros (plus shipping) gives us a measly 3 tutorials & a crapload of information that's already available to us for free on the web. No thanks.

Anyone selling the techanim DVDs second hand?

[Hugh]

Personally, no....

If he kept posting JUST to advertise his book, then sure - that would get a bit tiring, but there is a lot of useful information that he is posting...

[jackpfeiffer]

Hey evil_art....

I am sorry that you feel that way. Perhaps you should take a brief moment try to understand some background...
I am posting information for FREE to all combustion users, and have always done so.... And I have doing this stuff since I started using discreet paint* and effect* four years ago (the fore-runner software for combustion,) and again later, as I became a beta tester for Cv1 and Cv2 .. The point is that I have always been helping, training and sharing info... My personal mantra is to be an "advocate for free help and support."
Yes, maybe now, when I post some helpful info, I will mention my book: There are still people who are NOT aware there is such a book like mine even exists. Remember that as of this date, there is NO COMBUSTON training book on the market -- except mine.
And, a little about my book.. Are you aware that my book is self-published ? Do you have an idea "self-published" means? I have just me and my co-workers: I have NO book advertising, NO book promotion, and NO big self-absorbing publishing company doing any kind of leg-work for me... So, I gots to do it myself. Am I getting rich from the book sales ?? .. -- NO ! Definately not. If you even think so, guess again. I get a warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy people got help and that they want help enough to pay for some printed pages.

I was asked to be a moderator for this VFX Fourm (a wonderful UNPAID position) and the "contract terms" of my volunteer work are to: "try to help people with their problems, submit articles, be nice, and spread the good word." This is what I am trying to do.
I am sorry you feel that I am "pimping" my book.. But, when I give free advice and help, I think I might take the right to mention it .. period.
Lastly, if you think the info I have written is readily available on the web for free -- Guess again. Have you seen or read the book? By your comments, I can tell that you have not --- I feel you are rather bashing a book you have NOT even seen ... It THAT cool? To blindly bash something ? Well the book has already received very good reviews from responsible and well-known combustion users are out there... Have you seen any of those? Or have you even bothered?

In the future, I suggest the following:
1) If you are annoyed by my posts, Don't bother reading my posts.
2) If you come to the VFX site, come to contribute - NOT TO BASH. As a forum moderator, I am supposed to STOP and HALT BASHING.
3) And if you ever DO need combustion help, think twice before you ask me for help-- Remember: I respond only to positive karma, not bashers..


Jack Pfeiffer

[Hugh]

And as one of the VFXTalk admins, I would back Jack up on EVERYTHING that he has just said. He is providing some great tips for Combustion users on this forum, and I have NO problem with his using those opportunities to mention his book.

How often do you see chunks of a training book reprinted on the web? By the author?

Thanks, Jack, for everything you're doing for this site.

[b30wu1f]

C´mon
maybe if we all stay cool .....

Maybe if we go to start menu and click in programs>>discreet>> combustion>> crtl+n and make a nice landscape with a litle grass
and an rise a sun...
no ...
ok.!

So calm down , this is a vfx board not "delta force8"


stay cooll

.....greetings from the cave....

p.s. dont step in the grass smoke it...

p.s2. hey jack, nice litle tip ( it remembers me the time of effect* and Illusion 1.0 with that alpha problem and camera tracking...lol)